Esophagogastroduodenoscopy



Visualization of the GI tract up to the duo­denum is also referred to as upper GI endoscopy or panendoscopy. Major indications are diagnosis of suspected upper GI hemorrhage and upper GI malignancy. Endoscopy is the diagnostic proce­dure of first choice in virtually all instances of upper GI hemorrhage (see Chapter 36B); even when bleeding is brisk, responsible lesions are readily visualized by experienced endoscopists. Endoscopic biopsy and cytology yield a diagnos­tic accuracy for upper GI cancer of close to 100 per cent, although accuracy is less in submucosal and/or infiltrative lesions. Other indications in­clude investigation of some cases of abdominal pain, esophageal symptoms, removal of foreign bodies, and injection of varices.